Tanapag Header CNMI Home Pacific Worlds Home

Arrival

Native

The Sea

The Land

Footprints

Visitors

Memories

Onwards

Utt |  Hotnu  |  Church  |  Cemetery  |  Managaha  |  Language  |  Sources & Links
   

A Native Place
Chapter Contents:


 

Utt
The Talaabwogh Falawel is the utt—a Carolinian canoe shed and men's house—that traditionally stands by the sea in this village. Though the utt is at this time pulled down for reconstruction, our Guides discuss the importance of the utt to the village, and Noel shows us an utt at the CNMI Museum.

Hotnu
Not far from the utt sits an old Chamorro-style brick oven or hotnu. This design, originally drawn from the Spanish, represents a site of distinct Chamorro influence within the village. Ben recounts how the hotnu was used during special events in his childhood.

Church
Tanapag traditionally had one of only two churches on the island of Saipan, and it used to be the main church. Despite changes over the past few decades, the church in Tanapag still serves important roles for the community.

Cemetery
Reflecting the Catholic influence in the village, the cemetery is nonetheless the site of a distinct practice of watching for signs of the departure of the deceased. Traditional protocols regarding the cemetery are also discussed.

Managaha Island
Managaha is significant to Carolinians for two reasons. It is the burial place of Aghurubw, a navigator who brought Carolinians to Saipan in the early 1800s. For Tanapag people, however, Managaha is the site for a funerary ritual called fiighiiló.

 

Language
Basic terminology concerning the home, structures, family and kinship, and domestic geography.

 

Sources & Links
Links to related web sites
Bibliography and Sources

 


 Utt |  Hotnu  |  Church  |  Cemetery  |  Managaha  |  Language  |  Sources & Links
Arrival |  A Native Place |  The Sea |  The Land |  Footprints |  Visitors |  Memories |  Onwards
 
Tanapag Home  |  Map Library |  Site Map |  Pacific Worlds Home